


ugly sweater

by gazing



Category: Holby City
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Cute, Developing Relationship, F/F, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Mutual Pining, Pining, Romantic Comedy, Sappy, Short & Sweet, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Ugly Holiday Sweaters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-25
Updated: 2020-12-25
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:15:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28317354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gazing/pseuds/gazing
Summary: "Is it that bad?" Bernie asks."It's terrible." Serena says, "Where on earth did you get such a horrible thing?"
Relationships: Serena Campbell/Bernie Wolfe
Comments: 2
Kudos: 67





	ugly sweater

**Author's Note:**

> hello and happy holidays!! it's christmas day and i felt like writing a little christmas fluff, and this popped into my head <3 i could imagine this whole fic actually happening between berena while writing so it was rly fun hehe, hope you enjoy!!

When Bernie steps into her shared office at AAU, the first thing she hears is Serena's delightful giggle.

Serena is leaning her chin on her hand, and her eyes are twinkling. Bernie had expected a quirk of the eyebrow, or the hint of a smirk, when Serena saw her jumper, not a full blown _laugh_. She looks down at her outfit self consciously, tucking a stray hair behind her and pursing her lips.

"What?"

"Nothing." Serena giggles. Bernie can't bring herself to be _too_ upset. So rare and precious is the sound of Serena being happy, without a care in the world. Bernie doesn't mind being teased, if she gets to hear it.

"Is it that bad?"

"It's terrible." Serena says, "Where on earth did you get such a horrible thing?"

"Your nephew bought it for me _._ " Serena raises an eyebrow, and Bernie's smile grows. "Oh, come on. I couldn't _not_ wear it. He'd notice."

"That's sweet, Bernie." Serena shakes her head, "But you shouldn't have _._ "

Bernie shrugs and hands Serena a hot cup of coffee. She feels warm when Serena's fingers brush hers, and looks away, focusing resolutely on the Christmas card from her propped up by Serena's laptop.

"It's nice." Bernie defends. The Christmas jumper has a huge reindeer embroidered on the front, complete with a bright red nose. If you squeeze it, Jason had said that morning, passing her the gift in the cold winter air, then it sings _Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer._ "It's... festive."

"Well, you pull it off, at least." Serena is staring at her computer screen, and Bernie glances at her, surprised. "I doubt I could wear it without looking completely ridiculous."

A hint of a smile passes Bernie's face, soft and warm. She clears her throat. Imagining Serena in the jumper _is_ quite a sight. It would be quite cute, Bernie think. Serena's short ruffled hair, her jumper, her red cheeks. A sight to behold indeed.

Serena points a pen at her.

"I know exactly what you're imagining." She warns, "Stop it."

Bernie holds up her hands in surrender.

"I wasn't imagining anything!"

Their laughter is interrupted by a firm knock on the office door.

"Come in." Bernie calls, giving Serena a fleeting smile before turning to their guest.

"Morning." Raf says, papers clutched to his chest, looking windswept. His nose is red with the cold. When he notices Bernie's outfit, he grins. "Nice jumper."

"Isn't it?" Bernie laughs, and turns to Serena, who winks at her.

"You'll be the embarrassment of the ward." Serena teases, her arm brushing Bernie's as she steps out of the office. The small contact still makes Bernie feel fuzzy, slightly in love. Lately she's been... quite enamored with Serena. She worries her heart is slowly being stolen by her dark eyes, her skilful hands.

"Right, back to work." Bernie claps. "And don't bring up the jumper again. We're _professionals._ "

*

It turns out that the doctors and nurses on AAU aren't particularly professional.

"It's just a jumper." Bernie is whining, halfway through an emergency surgery, her surgical gloves covered in blood.

"I wouldn't say it's _just_ a jumper." Serena says, her fingers touching Bernie's as she dives deeper into the patient's chest.

All morning Bernie has put up with teasing and jokes about the jumper from patients and co-workers alike. Really, she thought the novelty would have died down by now. But when Bernie sees Serena's eyes sparkling from across the room, or catches Jason smiling at her proudly, she feels much less irritated.

"Oh, come on, Bernie." Serena says, her eyes glancing upwards to meet Bernie's as the machines beep. "It's just a little holiday cheer."

"Yes, at my expense." Bernie looks back, her eyes crinkled. "Don't tell anyone, but it actually _sings._ "

"It sings?" Serena laughs, her hands stilling over the patient's organs before she resumes easily, "Oh, dear. And I thought it couldn't get any worse."

"It can." Bernie says gravely, "I keep imagining breaking bad news to a family and I accidentally set the thing off and it's singing _Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer_ while they cry."

Serena laughs again.

"That wouldn't be very professional."

"Not at all." Bernie grumbles. "And the worst part is I can't take the damned thing off."

"Yes, Jason's very happy about all of this. He seems to think he's Nicholas Claus himself." Serena shakes her head, but fondness is etched into her features. "That would be a fine thing."

It's always been wonderful, to complete surgeries with Serena. They come to a satisfying close, after hours of hard work and coordination. They've always worked well together, Bernie thinks, from the very beginning. Though she compromises for Serena, has to move differently for her, she much prefers working with Serena now, rather than working alone.

They wash their hands over the sink, looking out into the empty theatre through a small window.

"Are you looking forward to Christmas?" Serena asks, "Got any plans?"

Bernie pauses, the water running over her hands.

"Cameron said he'd call tomorrow." She says hopefully, and it sounds weak to her own ears.

"And Charlotte?"

Bernie shakes her head, and Serena sets a warm, wet hand on her arm.

"Well, you're, um," Serena pauses, her fingers resting gently on Bernie's skin, and Bernie looks at her under the lights, still in those bright blue scrubs, "You're welcome to spend it with us, if you like. I mean we- we'd love to have you."

Bernie, moved, blinks at Serena.

"Really?"'

"Of course." Serena says softly. "You can wear that jumper."

It defuses the tension. Bernie barks out a laugh, turning back at the sink, as if her heart isn't pounding in her chest.

"Why not?" She says. It does nothing to help her unstable heart when Serena gives her a pleased smile.

*

"You're wearing it." Jason says, in a matter of fact tone.

Bernie turns to him with a smile. He'd caught her in the corridor. With her scrubs replaced by that damned jumper and her hair falling over her eyes, she thinks she must look a little ridiculous - and the thought only makes her smile wider.

"Of course I am." Bernie says. "Thanks again, Jason."

"You're welcome."

He's got a good heart, Bernie thinks. Just like Serena's. They've always inspired Bernie to develop her relationship with her own children, and just to be a stronger person in general.

"I didn't knit it myself," He continues, in step with her. "I bought it."

"That's alright. Knitting is-"

"Is that slander for knitting I hear?" Serena asks, appearing from around a corner, "Because I won't stand for it."

"Hello, Auntie Serena." Jason says, "We were just talking about Bernie's jumper."

"Yes, we were." Bernie says, mouthing _help_ over Jason's shoulder.

"Oh, yes." Serena says, looking back at Bernie with this evil glint in her eyes. Bernie fills with dread. "I've heard it sings."

"It does!" Jason exclaims, and squeezes the red nose on the jumper. The corridor fills with the tune of _Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer._ Serena's face is alight with so much glee that Bernie forgets to grumble about it.

"Well, isn't that lovely?" Serena laughs, throwing an arm around Bernie's shoulder. Bernie shoots her a dark glare, and Serena looks back with so much joy and laughter that Bernie promptly forgets the jumper. She forgets everything, in fact, that isn't Serena's eyes.

"I have some good news, Jason." Serena says, "Bernie's spending Christmas with us."

Jason is silent for a moment.

"Good." He decides, "Will you wear the jumper?"

"Yes, Jason." Bernie sighs, "I'll wear the jumper."

*

Bernie is indeed wearing the ugly Christmas sweater when she knocks on Serena's door.

It's cold, not quite enough to snow but enough that Bernie's fingers are numb. She rocks back and forth on her heels, slightly nervous. Though she's comfortable in Serena's company, there's always this twinge of nerves, that perhaps comes from her slightly large crush on the other one. Spending Christmas day together, Bernie thinks, is a rather large step.

"Bernie." Serena says brightly, as soon as she opens the door. Her eyes flicker over Bernie, and she laughs. "Sorry. I'll never get used to that thing."

Bernie holds up a bottle of shiraz.

"I brought gifts." She says.

"Well, that's more than enough to make me forget about the jumper." She says, taking the Shiraz from her. "Thank you. Oh- come in, come in. You must be cold."

Bernie steps through the doorway, warmth hitting her immediately. She breathes in the smells of Christmas, pine and spice and the meat cooking in the oven, and her heart fills with warmth too. When she turns, Serena is standing in the hallway reading the Shiraz label, and Bernie smiles at her for a moment in secret before stepping into the dining room.

Jason is already at the table.

"Hello, Bernie."

"Hi, Jason." She grins, sitting opposite him.

Serena steps inside. She's in a jumper, too, though hers is much nicer - it's a dark turtleneck that fits sweetly around the neck, and Bernie's eyes flicker over her for a moment. Serena has always been rather beautiful, but it's in the moments when she is simply _being_ that she's so exquisite. Red painted nails, wrapped around the Shiraz bottle. Stray strands of hair on her forehead. Bernie watches as she pours a glass of Shiraz for herself.

"Why are you staring, Bernie?" Jason asks. Bernie clears her throat, looking away quickly, but not before Serena looks up from her glass and catches her looking.

"I- wasn't." Bernie splutters, staring down at the green tablecloth.

This is going well, she thinks. She can pass off the flush in her cheeks from the haze of the Christmas tree lights, right?

"Bernie's just arrived." Serena says, "Leave the interrogation for later, Jason."

"But I-"

"I just liked her jumper." Bernie blurts out. Serena raises an eyebrow.

"Oh, I like yours too," She says, "Won't you make it sing for us again?"

Bernie has definitely had enough of the damned Christmas jumper.

(Not really. In fact, if it keeps her here in this lovely moment, Bernie thinks she could wear it forever).

*

"Thank you for a lovely evening, Serena."

They stand together in the doorway. Moonlight filters through the curtains, casts Serena in this pale glow, and she hovers there. Her lipstick is smudged from shiraz and her eyes are sparkling like the Christmas lights and Bernie really doesn't want to go home. Not when she looks at the tilted Christmas cracker hat on Serena's head.

"I owe that to you, Bernie." Serena pauses, her hand fluttering to her necklace. She pulls at it, a nervous habit that Bernie knows well by now. "Actually, I- wanted to say thank you. Jason always gets nervous at this time of year, you see. But because of you he's been very happy this year."

"Because of the jumper, you mean."

Serena gives her a crooked smile, warm and sweet. Bernie is full of food and wine and she feels fuzzy with it, with happiness.

"No," She says, "Because of you."

The silence seems to say more, Bernie thinks. She takes a step towards Serena, and feels a thrill when Serena swallows.

"It's not- it's not just Jason." Serena finally says, "I liked spending Christmas with you."

"Oh." Bernie says. Her eyes flicker over Serena's face. "Yeah. Serena, I- it was-"

Bernie looks away, at the patterns on the wall, at anything except the sincerity in Serena's face.

"The jumper isn't actually that bad." Serena says, defusing the tension. She's great at that, Bernie thinks.

"Serena." Bernie laughs.

"It's not!" Serena laughs. She steps forward and smooths her hands over Bernie's shoulders, across the knitted seams. "It suits you."

Serena looks up at her. She pats Bernie's chest, a small, comforting thing.

"I'm afraid I've teased you terribly." She says, and she doesn't look sorry at all.

"I'm used to it." Bernie says. She thinks of kissing Serena, and she doesn't. "In fact, I'm already planning your gift for next year."

"Oh dear." Serena says, "I suppose I deserve that."

Bernie lifts a hand and pressed it against Serena's cheek. It's soft under her fingers, warm as Bernie feels.

"Won't you stay?" Serena asks.

"It's late." Bernie murmurs, "And you should-"

Her words are muffled by Serena reaching upwards to kiss her. She's clumsy, and makes up for it in enthusiasm, her hands tugging on Bernie's sweater. Bernie smiles into the kiss, her heart fluttering. Serena tastes of wine, of Christmas dinner, and she is a miracle in Bernie's arms.

They're interrupted by a familiar sound.

_Rudolph the Red Nose reindeer, had a very shiny nose-_

Bernie grumbles, pulling away.

"I hate this damned jumper."

"Oh?" Serena smiles up at her. She hums along to the song. "But I think it's rather sweet."


End file.
